Haven't caught Doodly Squat - -

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

 - - On lures and artificials, that is.

I buzz them around every patch of water on my home stream, the blackwater Edisto in S. Carolina; every weed pocket and stump is a target.

But so far, only live bait has produced much. The fish have hit a few jighead/tail combinations and a Super Duper. But it was the bass that liked the Super Duper and the brim didnt' care much for the jigs, unless I tipped them with a worm.

 

Everything else, from small propeller topwaters to minnow imitations, popper-fly combos to spinners & spoons have been mostly ignored. Between "light time" and about 10 AM, you can see and hear fish popping and swirling, raising a ruckus up and down the river. Seems the right time for the lures, when the fish are most active..... and so far the result has been little of nuttin'.

 

To be fair, when live bait produces where the the lures don't, well... it's not hard to figure which I focus on.

I'll toss a lure for awhile, but I'm soon back to tending a float or jigging worms around stumps and holes.

 

By the time the shadows are gone (11am-12pm), most of the surface activity dies down. I'm guessing the fish find hidey holes and deep swirls to lay up in, as the sun climbs overhead.

So I think I need to respond with a a different strategy.

 

Most of the good morning strikes, you know, the ones that make you whisper, "Dayum!" - appear in one of two places:

1. The shallow-to-deep step, 10 feet or so off the banks,

2. Smack in the middle of the river.

 

It's hard to tell if there is much "chasing" going on, though, or if the fish are just nailing "targets of opportunity." I tend to think it's more of the latter. This upper part of the Edisto chain is a languid water, with only the merest current. Like any good "Southern home," things are kinda slow and easy along the river.

The natural forage in the waters are minnows, small bream and varied invertebrates.

So here's what I'm thinking. In the early morning - use "lazy," wounded minnow imitators, and slow spinners/spoons. Piddle them at, or just under, the surface. Fan cast them for coverage. Every third cast, rip 'em fast to see if that is what they want.

In the later morning, through lunchtime, drop weedless jigs with tipped tails into the snags, stumps, blow downs, holes and eddies - all the usual structure that is found in these small rivers.

 

Somewhere in the middle of all this "castin' and calculatin'," I also have to dunk some crickets for those fat redbreast we got.

 

I started out complaining to the choir, and then looking for solutions. Now I've realized how darned good I got it!

Yeah, life is pretty good on the river. :-)

[Steve Crowder]

Life is good on the river anytime David, even the slower days. If the water temps are just right, maybe procreation is more on the bluegills mind presently. Been out trying to restore power to all the storm hit areas this past week, resting right now. Would have rather been fishing trying to find if the bluegills are bedding. Go again and good fishing! 

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Thanks for your service, Steve. Every time I flip a switch Ill think of you.

You can be sure I'll go again and keep at it.

Like I said, I started out whining and before I realized it, I had a plan of action and a list of positives going. Thanks for the encouraging comments, too!

[Aquiles Olguin Jr]

David , have you ever tried the Zoom "tiny " brush hog it's my killer lure I have caught tons of bluegill , bass and even a confused catfish with it . I usually get a hit on it as soon as it strikes the water , if not I work it back slowly jigging it off the bottom . Really it works everytime.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

What all-around color would you suggest? And is there a product number for the teensy ones?